Lubinets appeals to the UN over destruction of Ukrainian cathedral in occupied Sevastopol by Russians
Kyiv • UNN
Russians dismantled the dome of the Cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the occupied Crimea, violating religious freedom and destroying Ukrainian national identity.
In the occupied Crimea, Russians have decided to dismantle the dome of the Cathedral of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr and Princess Olga. In this regard, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets appealed to the UN agencies to draw the international community's attention to the violations of the Russian Federation, UNN reports.
I have received an appeal from Metropolitan Klyment of Simferopol and Crimea regarding the latest crimes committed by the aggressor country in the temporarily occupied Crimea. He informs that the occupation authorities of Crimea have decided to dismantle the dome of the Cathedral of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr and Princess Olga of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Simferopol. He sent inquiries to the UN agencies to draw the international community's attention to the violations of the Russian Federation
He noted that constant pressure, a number of illegal decisions by the occupation authorities and the eviction of the Crimean Diocese from this Cathedral actually destroyed the OCU in Crimea.
"In its aggression against Ukraine, Russia continues to destroy churches, imprison and torture clergy, persecute representatives of religious communities located in the TOT of Ukraine who are not loyal to the occupation authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church," the Ombudsman adds.
He also emphasized that he had repeatedly appealed to international organizations to condemn the illegal steps of the occupation authorities on the territory of the Ukrainian peninsula in connection with the persecution of Ukrainian citizens on religious and ethnic grounds.
"The Russian Federation continues to demonstrate to the world that nothing stops them from destroying the Ukrainian national identity, eliminating the Ukrainian church, the Ukrainian language, and Ukrainian culture. I call on the international community to respond to another crime against the freedom of worldview and religion of the faithful of the Crimean Diocese of the OCU," Lubinets summarized.
Recall
In the occupied Crimea, Russians dismantled the dome of the Cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea called it another step in the systematic destruction of religious freedom on the peninsula.
